


Filling the void

by Drakaina_amore64



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Grief/Mourning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:21:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26318605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drakaina_amore64/pseuds/Drakaina_amore64
Summary: Hiccup becomes reaquainted with the person who he had thought was gone for ever and now hopes to have the chance to fill the empty void in his heart. He learns something about Astrid along the way.
Relationships: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III & Valka, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Astrid Hofferson
Comments: 2
Kudos: 39





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever HTTYD fanfiction which I've finally got enough courage to post. Something that came in my head after watching HTTYD 2 for the 5th time with my kids yesterday.

Hiccup had spent most of his childhood dreaming about his mother. What she looked like; what her voice sounded like and how it felt to be comforted by her. Like his father and the rest of Berk, he had assumed that she was gone forever after she was taken by a dragon during one of the many raids that the village had endured. He had only been a babe then and could not remember that night, but his father had told him what had happened when he was old enough to understand.

He remembered watching the other children in the village with their mothers, his heart aching for the one that he would never know. The ache had been somewhat dulled when he met Toothless who had changed his life in so many ways. Gone where the days of being ‘Hiccup the useless’ as he was dubbed by most of Berks residents. His father Stoick barely had time for him and his relationship with him was rocky. He was often left in the hands of his father’s closest friend Gobber who had taken him under his wing as a blacksmith apprentice. The other teenagers in his age group had mostly ignored him back then, despite his attempts to fit in.

But with the help of Toothless, Hiccup had gained the respect of not only his father but the whole of Berk after they defeated the Red Death. For the first time in his life he was accepted. He had friends, a betrothed and for the first time in his life he was happy. Although a small part of him still wished his mother was alive, he had come to terms that it was not possible… or so he thought.  
  
Hiccup couldn’t believe he was face to face with his mother. The woman who he had thought he would never have the chance to meet again. But here she was in the flesh.

A mother never forgets, she had said to him after she had recognized who he was from the scar on his chin. He wanted to be angry at her for abandoning him; for making them think she was dead for the last 19 years. But instead he found himself wanting to get to know her. To fill the empty void that he had so desperately wanted to fill as a child watching others with their mothers.  
She took him further into the sanctuary where she had lived for the past 19 years and introduced him to all the dragons who had found refuge with her. Hiccup felt a slight pang of jealousy as he watched her fawn over the dragons, but he pushed them back down as they sat down to watch the baby dragons jump all over a disgruntled Toothless.

“So, you say the village has accepted dragons? After all these years?” Valka asked in amazement. Hiccup nodded and relayed the story of the Red Death to her. She seemed unconvinced that Stoick could change his ways and Hiccup didn’t blame her. Last time she had seen him his father had been trying to kill the dragons who were raiding the village.

“So, what about you son…any significant others back home?” she prompted with curiousity. Hiccup instantly smiled as he thought of Astrid.  
  
“Yes I’m betrothed to Astrid, Astrid Hofferson,” he replied with a smile. “Do you remember the Hofferson’s?” 

Valka’s face lit up much to Hiccup’s surprise. “I do remember the Hofferson’s. I was there when they brought wee Astrid to the Meade hall shortly after her birth for Stoick to do the naming ceremony. They weren’t sure of what to name her. Hilde had been so sure that she was having a boy because the strength of the baby’s kicks was so strong that she said they almost popped right through her womb.”

Hiccup laughed at that; he could imagine a miniature size Astrid trying to punch her way out of anything. His beloved was nothing short of a spitfire and one of Berk’s best female warriors.

“You can imagine their surprise when she gave birth to a girl,” Valka continued “But she was the most beautiful baby girl with the most stunning blue eyes that the village had seen in a long time. We joked to the Hofferson’s that they would have all the young men’s parents banging on their door for her hand when the time came.”

Hiccup smiled again as the vision of Astrid appeared in his mind. Blonde, blue eyed and fierce. He looked at Valka and waited for her to continue.

“Your father suggested naming her Camicazi but when Hilde asked for my thoughts, I suggested Astrid,” Valka said with a bright smile. “Astrid means divine strength and beauty.”

“Sums her up perfectly,” Hiccup murmured softly, and he looked out to the sanctuary where the dragons were happily flying. When he turned back to look at Valka, she was giving him a knowing smile.  
  
“I’m glad,” she answered. “I remember that day because that was the first time you smiled.” Hiccup quirked an eyebrow and waited for her to elaborate. “You were five moons old and I had you strapped in a little sling on my chest. When I bent over to see Astrid wrapped in the little bundle, I remember you stuck your little fist out as though you wanted to reach her and smiled.”

Hiccup smiled again, his heart feeling full as he pictured that moment. He missed Astrid, he knew that she had attempted to follow him when he had flown off with Toothless after arguing with his father and that she had been ordered to stay behind to take the rest of the group back to Berk. He realised at that moment that he couldn’t stay here much longer. That he would have to return to Berk with the knowledge that his mother was in fact alive.

“I would love for you to meet her someday,” he said quietly, observing her reaction. Valka’s smile slowly disappeared, and she cast her eyes away.

“My son, my life is here with these dragons. I cannot leave them.”  
  
 _But you could leave me_ , Hiccup thought bitterly and looked over to Toothless who was lying nearby. His heart sank, and he couldn’t bring himself to look back at her.

“Perhaps you could bring her…here?” she offered. Hiccup nodded keeping his gaze down.

“What do I tell dad?” he asked, and she stiffened once again. He was expecting this, and it caused conflicting emotions to surface in him as he awaited her reply.

“We will focus on that later. But now I would like to show you something,” she said, reaching out her hand. Hiccup took it and let her pull him to stand. He went over to Toothless and climbed onto the saddle before following her and Cloudjumper out of the sanctuary.

He knew he would have to leave soon. But for now, he was going to enjoy this quality time with his mother.


	2. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adding this as a follow up :).

Hiccup felt numb as he finally had a chance to process the recent events in the privacy of his bedroom. A few days ago, the void in his heart had been filled when he had been reunited with his mother after 19 years. Now it felt even emptier than before.

With his head in his hands he blinked away tears as the vision of his father getting hit by Toothless’ plasma blast replayed in his head like a haunting loop. Stoick had jumped in front of Hiccup to save his life even though he had argued with him not even 24 hours before and brushed aside his attempts to discuss becoming chief.  
  
Guilt bubbled inside of Hiccup and the tears finally erupted causing his body to tremble as he succumbed to his grief. Toothless warbled beside him and hung his head, sensing his partners despair.

The tears kept coming and Hiccup didn’t even notice that someone else had entered the room. Warm, soft hands were encasing him in a tight embrace and he instantly knew it was Astrid without even looking. He leant into her as though trying to absorb any comfort he could, and she brought a hand to cradle his head under her chin as she stroked his auburn hair.  
  
When the tears finally stopped, he wiped his puffy eyes and raised his head off to meet hers. Astrid’s eyes were also puffy, and she gave him a small, comforting smile as she took his hands in hers. “I’m so sorry Hiccup,” she said gently, and he gripped her hands tighter. “It’s all my fault Astrid, if I had just listened...”

“It’s not your fault Hiccup,” Astrid told him earnestly. “If it’s anyone’s fault its Dragos.” He sniffled, turning his gaze to Toothless who was watching them intently next to the bed. He reached out and scratched the dragon behind his ear causing him to croon softly.

“I don’t know if I can do this Astrid,” Hiccup admitted. He could see her questioning gaze out of the corner of his eye. “Be chief I mean…I’m not…I’m not him and I could never be what he was.” 

Astrid sighed next to him and gave his hand a squeeze so he would look back at her. “You don’t have to be him Hiccup. You don’t have to be like him to be a good chief and you don’t have to do it alone. We are all here for you.” Hiccup let her words sink in, nodding slowly. He took a deep breath in and looked intensely into her dark azure coloured eyes. He felt overcome with emotion as she returned his gaze with such love that the cold numbness in his heart became slightly more bearable for a moment.

“I love you,” he said, leaning forward to kiss her gently. She kissed him back, one hand cupping his face before pulling back.

“I love you too,” she replied.

They sat there in silence for what seemed like forever until a noise downstairs made Hiccup jump. 

“Your mom’s downstairs,” Astrid informed him, and he gave her a surprised look.

“She’s still here? I thought she might have gone,” he said quietly.

“Maybe you should go talk to her?” Astrid suggested.

Hiccup wondered if that would be a good idea, but he didn’t know what to say to her. Astrid gave his shoulder a squeeze as she got to her feet. “I’ll go and sort the mess out there…you take all the time you need.”

He gave her a grateful look as she left the bedroom. He heard her say something to Valka at the bottom of the stairs. He edged closer to the door to listen, hoping they wouldn’t catch him eavesdropping.

“He needs you.” He heard Astrid say and there was a brief pause.  
  
“He…He doesn’t need me. I-I left him,” Valka stammered. Astrid give an indignant huff in response.

“You’re right, you did leave him. But he is going to need your support. You owe him that much and he-he deserves it.”

There was another pause and he a brief murmur that he couldn’t quite catch.

“I will be back later. I’ve got to check on the other riders and assess what needs to be fixed. You should talk to him,” Astrid said, closing the door gently behind her.

Silence filled the house again and Hiccup saw Valka’s gaze move around the room to rest on Stoick’s chair. He moved closer towards the stairway, watching as she reached out to place her hand on the chair. A tear rolled down her cheek, dropping on to the worn armrest.

Hiccup forced himself down the stairs and she turned to face him as he approached her slowly. They stared at each other for a few moments and then they were embracing each other in a tight hug.  
  
“I’m so sorry my son,” she whispered in his ear and he nodded numbly. 

“I know,” Hiccup replied. They stood there for a few seconds before separating and she put her hands on his shoulders.

“I know I can’t take back leaving you for all these years, but I want to make it up to you. I want to be here for you,” she told him earnestly. Hiccup’s heart was hammering his chest as he registered her words.

“You’re staying?” 

“If you will have me?” she replied and a smile lit up on Hiccup’s face.  
  
“Of course, I want you here,” he answered, making her face light up with relief.

“I was hoping you could help me design a sanctuary for all these dragons here on Berk. Now that Toothless is the alpha we are going to need a lot more room.”

“I think I have the perfect idea,” Valka said. “But first we must rebuild the village and meet with the council.” She lifted the chief’s cloak that was draped over Stoick’s chair and held it out to him. He accepted it wordlessly as she left him to his thoughts.

Hiccup sighed; the responsibilities of chief already seemed overwhelming, and he instantly felt that hint of self-doubt attempting to cloud his mind. Fastening the cloak around him, Hiccup stood with his hand on the door handle.

Anxiety gripped him tightly as he processed his next move. There was another nudge from Toothless, reminding him that he was not doing this alone.  
  
As he looked down at his best friend, he felt the void in his heart slowly fill with warmth with the knowledge that Toothless, Astrid, his friends and his mother were by his side and would help him along the way.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed :)


End file.
